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Time Well Spent 10/14/2016

​God has been troubling my Spirit, for quite some time, about how I UTILIZE my time.

First, He made me aware that all of my time, is His time. Period.

Second, He made me admit that we have freewill over how we CHOOSE to spend that time. Kinda killed the phrases ” I don’t have time for this”, “I meant to call/visit you, but…”, etc. We make time for the things/people we want!

Third (and hardest for me), in my being so busy, am I FRUITFUL? WOW! If I’m spent, at the end of the day, but can’t see the benefits of my labor, I may have been busy, but not necessarily productive.

Finally, and most importantly, how much of my time, that has so graciously been bestowed upon me, is spent with THE ONE-THE GIVER OF TIME; GOD?

Pastor Charles Stanley mentioned in one of his sermons, that prayer is our time to COMMUNE with God. Many of us pray daily, and some throughout. The questions he posed were, after you pray, is there devotion, worship, and/or meditation? Are you yet quiet, and still, with your Spiritual eyes and ears open, or are you off to the next task at hand?

Alright, I get it. I am MEGA guilty of praying, and then jumping to the next task. Oftentimes, we say we’re not hearing from God, but that’s not necessarily true. Maybe we just never stopped long enough to hear His response. God loves us, and desires to speak with, and sup with us, as well. Communion requires an exchange.

Prayer= getting into God’s presence; making your petitons known.

Devotion= reading the Word of God; expanding your understanding of the heart and mind of God, via the Holy Spirit; learning what He requires of You-Your life’s instructions.

Worship = expressing gratitude, pure praise and thanksgiving.

Meditation = quieting your mind; allowing God, and His peace to wash over you, as He speaks to you, in turn; hearing HIM, and getting answers to prayers. “A-HA” moments happen in this space; discernment is made manifest.

Scenario:It brings to mind a family sitting down to dinner, whose house tradition is to share the day’s experiences. The kids begin; they regale everyone with the ins and outs – every detail (especially if they’re tweens-lol). They then may begin to ask what they should do about one thing or another (overtly, or covertly), and may even express their love and appreciation for family. Immediately afterward, “okay, let’s get these dishes/the kitchen cleaned up, and get to your homework.” Later, cellphones are out, tablets/TV’s are queued for games or movies; Mom and/or Dad start on the work they brought home- each one gone to his/her own space. Now, it’s bedtime. Sound familiar? Where was the EXCHANGE? Were the kids’ questions answered? Did the parents have questions, or get to talk about their day? Was there a dialogue; a response to what was heard, to afford the parents the opportunity to encourage, instruct/redirect (teachable moment), to reciprocate the expression of love?

Devote quality time to Him. He’s worthy. He gave you the time, so make it work. It’s time well spent!

Tips- courtesy Ligonier Ministries:

Setting Your Schedule

Use your leisure time for pursuits that are life-enriching. Reading is a valuable use of time. Augustine once advised believers to learn as many things as possible, since all truth is God’s truth. Other avocations that are enriching are in the area of the arts. I also enjoy working crossword puzzles to warm up the little gray cells and expand my vista of verbal expression.

Find ways to cheat the “sandman.” My habit has been to retire between 8 and 9 p.m. when possible and rise at 4 a.m. This has affected a wonderful revolution for my schedule. The early hours of the day are free from distractions and interruptions, a marvelous time for study, writing, and prayer.

Use driving time for learning. Driving a car is a mechanical function that allows the mind to be alert to more than what is happening on the roadway. The benefits of recordings can be put to great use during these times.

Finally, in most cases, a schedule is more liberating than restricting. Working with a schedule helps enormously to organize our use of time. The schedule should be a friend, not an enemy. It helps us find the rhythm for a God-glorifying, productive life.

Coram deo: Living before the face of God

If you do not have a schedule, make one and use it for the rest of the week, then evaluate how it helped you redeem time. If you already have a schedule, take some time to review it and pray about your priorities.

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4 thoughts on “Time Well Spent 10/14/2016”

Your third point hit me pretty hard. Productive and Fruitful. It is soooo easy for me to get caught up in extra stuff when the initial thought process was to spend QT with the Lord! You are popping on ALL cylinders with this post!!! It will bless and convict anyone who reads it. Thanks for sharing!!!